Monday, shortly after lessons end: the attendance list was printed this morning. Since then, one child has been reported sick and another has a new pick-up time. A colleague adds both to her copy. The second copy in the sports hall stays unchanged. When the team later looks for a child, they first have to work out which list is right. The situation is an example, but it shows the basic problem with paper and Excel: both capture a single moment, while the afternoon has long since moved on.
If you want to take attendance digitally, a digital copy of the old sheet is not enough. Expected children, actual attendance, absences, rooms and pick-up details have to belong together. This is exactly what moto is designed for.
Why paper lists and Excel go out of date so quickly
A printed list is out of date the moment a piece of information changes. Every extra copy makes the problem worse. An absence report reaches the office, a changed pick-up time is noted in the group room and a room change is only known to the colleague currently running a club. Nobody has done anything wrong. The information is simply in different places.
- Changes have to be added to several lists.
- The team cannot see straight away which version is current.
- Absences and pick-up times have to be copied from emails or notes.
- With open play, a simple daily list does not show which room a child is in.
- Staff covering a shift first have to find out where the information they need is kept.
Excel only partly solves the problem. The names are legible and a file can be updated. But during the afternoon, care staff need the information where they are working. As soon as printouts, handwritten additions or other files appear alongside it, there are several versions again.
Attendance changes over the course of the day
Before lessons end, it has to be clear which children are expected that day. After that, the picture changes: children arrive, are signed out, move to a club or leave care. Digital attendance reflects these changes as they happen.
Rules on attendance depend on where you are. For open all-day schools (OGS) in Germany, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) sets rules in a state decree (in German), in force from 1 August 2026. It generally expects children to take part on an ongoing basis and, as far as possible, for the full hours. Parents are expected to give timely notice if they want their child excused. The decree does not say whether attendance must be recorded on paper or digitally. What matters for care staff day to day is that the list of expected children and the current status match.
Digital attendance with moto
The Staff app from moto shows expected and present children. Your team can search by name, class, group or room. Depending on the setup, they see the current status, pick-up time, how the child gets home and important notes. If an entry is wrong, care staff can correct the attendance, room or club details.
Changes from parents belong here too. Depending on the setup, parents can use the Parent app to report an absence or change a pick-up time. Your site receives this information in a structured way and can act on it. No more detours from message to note to the next list.
Roles and permissions define which areas a person can see and edit. Care staff, management and providers do not work in the same view, but they all access related information. Each role gets the information it needs for its task.
Per day or per room: both work
Every site works differently. That is why the setup of moto defines how precisely attendance is recorded.
- Per day: The team sees whether a child is here, not here or picked up. Pick-up time and how the child gets home can be added.
- Per room: In addition, the team can see whether a child is in a room, in the playground or at a club.
- Kept by the team: Care staff change the status directly in the Staff app.
- With NFC: Children tap to check in, check out or change area on their own at the NFC terminal.
If your site only needs to know whether a child is here, not here or picked up, a simple daily status is enough. If moves between rooms and clubs should also be visible, recording per room can make sense. NFC is not required. Your team can keep attendance entirely in the app or combine both approaches.
How NFC can take work off your team
With an NFC wristband, children confirm their arrival or a room change at the terminal. The new status appears in the Staff app and the team can change it if needed. Not every change has to be called out to a member of staff first and then copied by hand.
Whether NFC fits depends on the building and your educational approach. With a central check-in point, one terminal for arrival and pick-up can be enough. Where children move freely between rooms, several room-based terminals can help them do so independently.
What changes for care staff
The team no longer has to copy information between different lists and can search for a child by whatever detail they know at that moment. Someone covering a shift finds a child by name, class, group or room. Once corrected, attendance is available to all other authorised staff too.
For this to work, moto is set up to fit your site. Rooms, groups, clubs, roles and the chosen attendance model are prepared before you start. The article Knowledge management in after-school care explains in more detail why a shared level of information matters so much for a team.
From the old sheet to a shared record
- Decide whether you only want to record daily attendance or rooms and clubs as well.
- Clarify which roles may see or change attendance and which information is needed day to day.
- Decide which messages from parents should arrive digitally and whether NFC suits your process.
- Test the configured solution on a real afternoon. As soon as the process runs smoothly, stop keeping the old main list alongside it.
Set up permissions and data with care
Even digitally, not everyone needs all the information. Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) names purpose limitation, data minimisation and accuracy, among other principles. In moto, access is set up through roles and permissions. Which data is needed, who is responsible and how long information is stored is decided by the provider and the school for their organisation.
Frequently asked questions about digital attendance
Why is a shared Excel file not enough?
Excel can provide one central file. The Staff app, by contrast, is built for frequent changes during the afternoon. It connects expected children, current status, rooms, pick-up details and the access each role is allowed.
Does every member of staff need their own device?
Not necessarily. A site can work with shared tablets. Which roles need a personal account and which devices the site needs is clarified during setup.
Does every child have to use an NFC wristband?
No. Care staff can keep attendance and rooms entirely in the Staff app. NFC is an optional addition that lets children check in, sign out and change rooms on their own.
Can incorrect information be corrected?
Yes. Care staff can check the attendance, room or club details in the Staff app and adjust them if needed. The professional decision stays with the team.
Is digital attendance recording required by law?
Not in NRW: the decree does not require digital attendance recording. The advantage of moto is that expected children, changes during the day and the information for care staff, management and parents come together on one platform.
Conclusion
A paper list shows what was known when it was printed. moto shows what applies right now. That can be a simple status of here, not here or picked up. With open play, rooms and clubs are added, and NFC if you wish. Your team works with one current, role-based record instead of several lists.